A Visual Guide to The Mindy Project’s Rom-Com References

Mindy Kaling has never made her love of the rom-com a secret. From the very beginning of The Mindy Project, she’s dropped allusions to Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, and many more staples of the 90s rom-com heyday. But in last night’s finale, she went from allusion to full-on pastiche. And it was glorious. The whole half hour played out like a perfect love letter to films written and directed by Nora Ephron. But what made it a truly great finale is that, among the visual gags and callbacks, there beat the heart of a whole and wholly believable love story. The advantage a TV romance has over a cinematic one is that we have hours (and in this case, years) invested in the will they/won’t they of a love story. Kaling doesn’t have to spend any time convincing the audience Danny and Mindy should be together; we’re already on board. With that business out of the way, Kaling and company were able to pack the episode with every Ephron antic in the book, plus a few that inspired Ephron herself. Here’s a visual guide to the best references from last night.

Mindy’s anger at being deceived is perfect here. A scene like this would have gone a long way to dispel some of the concerns people have over Tom Hanks’ deception in You’ve Got Mail. (A tactic that was far less upsetting in the historical context of the source material, The Shop Around the Corner.) Because this scene doesn’t exist in You’ve Got Mail, Kaling had to draw on When Harry Met Sally.

I’ll Order Whatever’s Giving Her an Orgasm

This When Harry Met Sally reference is the episode’s most direct homage. Chris Messina’s delivery is perfect.

Tall! Short! Decaf!

Maybe one of the best speeches in You’ve Got Mail is still true 16 years later.

People mock the outdated modem sounds and AOL-centric plot of You’ve Got Mail, but the perils of online dating are the same as they ever were.

Which Way?

The episode even made room to give a nod or two to An Affair to Remember, the film that inspired Sleepless in Seattle.

Running For It

Danny’s mad dash makes visual reference to Harry’s, but could also be Meg Ryan’s in Sleepless in Seattle or Deborah Kerr’s in An Affair to Remember.

The Fall

This happens offscreen in An Affair to Remember but, no doubt, Danny was looking up.

An Empire State of Mind

The Empire State Building setting is a reference all on its own.

But Mindy’s entrance mirrors Annie’s.

And Danny’s mirrors Sam’s.

The Walk and Talk

Perhaps the most well-known hallmark of the Meg Ryan New York rom-coms is the walk and talk. (Eat your heart out, Aaron Sorkin.) In paying homage to Nora Ephron, Kaling has always nailed the idea of New York in an important supporting role.